Coin freed vending machines



fly W 5. Wm ET AL 3%23906 COIN FREED VENDING MACHINES Filed July 3.96? 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan M 1970 E. PARK ET AL COIN FREED VENDING MACHINES 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 196

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United States Patent Int. Cl. G07f 11/18 US. Cl. 194-58 17 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coin freed machine for concurrently freeingan article and change coins. Both the article and the change coins arearranged in piles, the article pile resting on the drawer and the drawerincluding means extending upwardly therefrom for causing movement of thelowermost coin in the change pile to a position to be removed by apurchaser.

This invention relates to coin freed machines for vending individualarticles of the kind in which a coin inserted by the purchaser freesmechanism that may then be operated by him to obtain an article.

It is sometimes desirable to be able to provide a coin or coins inchange as well as the article to be sold and it is an object of thepresent invention to provide for such a contingency.

According to one feature the present invention consists in a coin freedmachine of the kind referred to for vending individual articles storedin a pile in which operation of the coin freed mechanism by thepurchaser acts to separate the lowermost article from the pile and thelowermost coin from a pile of coins, stored as change, and present saidarticle and coin for removal by the purchaser.

According to another feature the present invention consists in a coinfreed machine of the kind referred to for vending individual articlesstored in a pile comprising a coin freed member adapted for to and fromovement by the purchaser on the insertion of a coin and means operatedby movement of said member for separating the lowermost article from thepile and the lowermost coin from a pile of coins, stored as change, andpresent said article and coin for removal by the purchaser.

According to a further feature the present invention consists in a coinfreed machine of the kind referred to for vending individual articlesstored in a pile comprising a coin freed slide adapted for to and fromovement by the purchaser on the insertion of a coin, means associatedwith the slide for separating the lowermost article from the pile andfurther means associated with the slide for separating the lowermostcoin from a pile of coins, stored as change, said means and said furthermeans being effective to provide their separating actions and to presentthe separated coin and article for removal by the purchaser on movementof the slide by him.

According to a still further feature the present invention consists in acoin freed machine of the kind referred to for vending individualarticles stored in a pile comprising a coin freed drawer adapted tosupport said pile with the lowermost article resting on the drawer,means for positioning a pile of coins ready for delivery as change,means on the drawer for engaging the lowermost article, and meansassociated with the drawer for engaging the lowermost coin in the pile,said two engaging means being adapted to separate the said lowermostarticle and the lowermost coin from their respective piles forpresentation to the purchaser when the drawer is 3,487,906 Patented Jan.6, 1970 moved after it has been freed for movement by the insertion ofthe appropriate coinage.

The means for positioning a pile of coins ready for delivery as changemay comprise a hopper mounted above the drawer and adapted to containsaid pile of coins one above the other, the cross section of said hoppercorresponding substantially to the surface of a coin to be delivered.

The hopper may be closed at its lower end and said end may be slotted topermit the passage of the associated means to engage the lowermost coinin the pile.

The hopper may be open at its lower end and be mounted so that saidlower end is located the height above a coin receiving surface of thedrawer equal to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance such thatwhen the drawer is closed, one coin only can lie between said lower endand said receiving surface.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings which show a machine suitable for vending individual cigars.

In the drawings:

FIGURES 1 to 5 illustrate one form of the invention, FIGURE 1 being aplan of a drawer, and FIGURE 2 a side elevation. FIGURE 3 is a frontelevation of a single moulding comprising three coin hoppers, and FIG-URE 4 is a plan of FIGURE 3, while FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of amachine showing the parts illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4 in theirassembled condition.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a drawer similar to FIGURE 2, butillustrating a modified form of coin engaging mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is another view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating a furthermodification of coin engaging means.

Referring first to FIGURE 5 which shows a machine with its frontremoved, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are the top, bottom and two side walls of theouter machine casing and 5, 6, 7 and 8 are corresponding parts of aninner framework, said framework being positioned within the outer casingby distance pieces 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. 14 is the rear wall of theframework.

The top 5 slopes downwardly from the front of the machine and below itthere is mounted a sloping panel 15 said top 5 and panel 15 beinginterconnected by sloping strips 16, 17 so that the top 5, panel 15 andstrips 16, 17 constitute a sloping flared opening leading to a coin slot(not shown).

The coin slot which is behind the wall 14, directs coins through apassageway behind the wall 14 to a coin freed mechanism generally shownat 19. The mechanism 19 is of a known kind in that a cam plate 20 ispivotally mounted on a panel 21, said plate having an upstanding tooth22 adapted to engage teeth of a rack 23 mounted on the bottom of adrawer 24, to prevent said drawer being opened. When a coin 25 is fed tothe position shown, between the edge of the cam plate 20 and a fixedmetal strip 26 and the drawer is pulled by its handle 27 it acts to pullthe coin with it so that the coin pivots the tooth 22 clear of the rack23 and so the drawer may be opened. The coin then falls into a till 28so that, on return of the drawer, the tooth and rack again lock thedrawer.

The above is a description of a suitable coin freed mechanism. Theinvention is not however limited to its use but relates to any coinfreed mechanism that permits its operation by a purchaser to obtain anarticle when he has inserted a coin, or coins.

The drawer 24 is mounted for to and fro movement in guideways 29, 30said guideways, which are preferably of thermoplastic material but maybe made from other materials being secured to the walls 7, 8. 32 and 33are guideways for receiving the ends of the cigars and it is to beunderstood that corresponding guideways are also secured behind theguideways 32, 33 so that the cigars are maintained in a magazine as apile with the lowermost one resting on the drawer. In practice thecorresponding guideways above referred to comprise a wooden or likepanel extending right across the length of the cigars and up to the topof the guides 32, 33, but this is not illustrated as it would obscurethe rear wall 14.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, the drawer comprises a substantiallyhorizontal upper surface 31 except for the coin receiving surfaces to behereinafter described. Towards the front the drawer is gapped at 35transversely to provide a support for the lowermost cigar 36 of a pilethereof (not shown). The gap is preferably lined with a soft materiale.g. baize, and it is lined in such a way that the upper side 37 of thecigar is just above the upper edge of the rear wall 38 of the gap.

39 is a coin slot and 229, 230 guides adapted to slide in the guideways29, 30.

40, 41 and 42 are coin receiving surfaces for pennies, threepennypieces, and pennies respectively. These extend from the rear wall 38 ofthe gap 35 to a position below a single moulding comprising three coinhoppers generally numbered 43 (see FIGURES 3, 4 and and which ishereinafter more fully described. It is convenient to arrange thehoppers as a single moulding but clearly they may be separate ifdesired.

The coin receiving surfaces are shallow and equal in depth to thethickness of a worn coin of the kind to be dispensed, and each receivingsurface comprises a wall 44, 45, 46 that constitutes a coin engagingmeans adapted to engage a coin when the drawer is pulled out by thepurchaser.

The moulding 43 comprises three coin hoppers 47, 48, 49 corresponding incross section to the diameters of a penny, a threepenny piece and apenny respectively. It will be seen that these hoppers are open at thetop and bottom and that they are also discontinuous at the front (lowerend as seen in FIGURE 4) so that coins may readily be stacked therein.50 and 51 are flanges that are slotted at 52, 53 to permit of adjustmentof the moulding up and down.

The above described machine is set ready for operation in the followingmanner. The moulding 43 is loosely secured by means of wood screws 54,55 to the wall 14 before the guideways 32 and 33 and their correspondingguideways are fastened in position. It will be seen that holes areprovided in said guideways so that a screw-driver may be inserted.

The moulding 43 is then secured in its correct position with respect tothe coin receiving surfaces of the drawer by placing a feeler gauge0.014" thick between the bottom end of the moulding and the surface 31of the drawer. The screws are then tightened and the feeler gaugeremoved. It will be hereinafter explained why a gauge 0.014" thick isused.

A pile of pennies is then loaded into each of the hoppers 47 and 49 andthreepenny pieces in the hopper 48 the lowermost coin in each caseresting in the coin receiving surface. a pile of cigars is then loadedinto the cigar magazine which is forward of the hoppers 47 and 49 andabove the gap 35. The lowermost cigar in the same manner as the coinsrests in the gap 35.

Assuming it is desired to provide a cigar and 5d. in change for a2/-piece, each coin hopper is prefer-ably loaded with a similar numberof coins to the number of cigars in the magazine.

The front is then mounted on the machine and is locked in position.

If now a 2/ -piece is inserted in the machine, it will fall to theposition indicated in FIGURE 5. When now the drawer is pulled the coinoperates torelease said drawer which can then be pulled out to itsfullest extent carrying with it a cigar and behind it a penny in each ofthe surfaces 40 and 42 and a threepenny piece in the surface 41.

During the pulling of the drawer the penultimate cigar in the pile willbe supported by the upper surface 31 of the drawer, and the change willpass beneath said cigar for presentation to the purchase, while onreturn of the drawer said penultimate cigar drops into the gap 35.

Further during the pulling of the drawer the penultimate coin in eachhopper will be supported by the surface 31, behind the coin receivingsurfaces, and on return of the drawer said coins will fall into the coinreceiving surfaces 40 to 42 with the walls 44 to 46 engaging behind themready for the next actuation of the drawer.

It will be appreciated that varying values of coinage as change may besupplied on actuation of the drawer by modifying the coin hoppers andcoin receiving surfaces.

Thus a hopper for half-pennies, sixpenny pieces or shillings can befitted, with corresponding coin receiving surfaces on the drawer, and ashereinafter explained more than one coin may be delivered from a hopperat each actuation.

A modification of the mechansim for delivering is illustrated in FIGURE6. In this drawing the coin hoppers are closed at the bottom and thecoin engaging means comprises a bell crank lever 56 that is biased by aspring (not shown) to assume the position shown in the drawing.

The upright arm, as seen in the drawing, of the lever 56 is of a heightsuch that when the drawer is moved to the right it will engage thelowermost coin in the pile. The hopper is slotted at the rear (i.e.left) of the hopper and across the bottom thereof from left to right topermit the passage of the lever 56. The hopper is preferablydiscontinuous at the front, similar to that shown in FIGURE 3,throughout the majority of its height, and at the lower end thediscontinuity is wider (equal approximately to the diameter of thecoin), the height of this greater width being equal to the thickness ofa mint com.

When then the drawer is pulled the lever will act to draw the lowermostcoin from the pile out of the hopper so that it drops onto the drawer.The depth of the receiving surface in this case is not critical as thecoin has only to be engaged by the drawer to a sufiicient extent toovercome friction of the coin passing beneath the pile of cigars.

When the drawer is returned the lever 56 tips against the action of itsspring and slides across the bottom of the lowermost coin. As soon as itpasses clear of the hopper, the spring reasserts itself and returns thelever 56 to its upright condition. I

In a further modification illustrated in FIGURE 7 the coins arepresented to the customer on the return stroke of the drawer. In thiscase the lever '56 is secured in the reverse manner to that shown inFIGURE 6 while the hopper 47 is closed at the bottom and slotted in asimilar manner to that described with regard to FIGURE 6. In this casehowever the exit slot from the hopper for the coin is at the left orrear side of the hopper. Beneath the hopper tapering holes are cutthrough the drawer.

In this modification, as the drawer is moved to the right, the lever 56tips against its spring and passes beneath the lowermost coin. On thereturn stroke the lever reasserts itself and pushes out the lowermostcoin which falls through the hole in the drawer to a passageway fromwhich it may be extracted by the purchaser.

In another method of presentation of coins on the return stroke of thedrawer, the rear end of the drawer normally obturates the lower end ofan open bottomed hopper and said rear end is substantially equal inthickness to the thickness of a coin to be dispensed. A platform islocated opposite the lower end of the hopper immediately beneath therear end of the drawer, so that on opening the drawer a coin isdeposited on the platform and on the return stroke the coin is pushedoff and falls to a discharge opening for presentation to the purchaser.

In this case the coin hopper is adjusted to leave a space between theplatform and the bottom of the coin hopper equal to the thickness of amint coin plus a clearance of 0.003". Assuming the space is adjusted tothe penny dimension the clearance will be 0.065"+0.003"=0.068". Thiswill permit a penny or a half-penny to be deposited on the platformwithout danger of a second such coin being delivered. To permit athreepenny piece to be delivered the platform must be channelled orrecessed below the threepenny hopper to a depth of 0.1050.068" =0.037".These dimensions are hereinafter more fully explained.

In the machine described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 and themodification not illustrated for presenting coins on the return strokeof the drawer, that is to say machines in which the coin hoppers areopen at the bottom, it is of importance that the hopper moulding shallbe set at the correct height above the drawer or platform as the casemay be. It has been stated with respect to FIGS. 1 to 5 that this heightis equal to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance of 0.014".With respect to the unillustrated modification it has been stated to be0.068" for a penny hopper and 0.037 for a threepenny piece.

These figures are arrived at in the following explanation.

A mint penny is approximately 0.065" thick and it has been found thatmost pennies wear about 0.001" every ten years, and that therefore thethinnest penny i.e. a worn coin in normal use is about 0.054" in thickness. It is necessary to ensure that a penny on its coin receivingsurface 40 will act as an obturator to prevent a second coin fallingfrom the hopper. Thus the distance between the upper surface of a pennyon the surface 40 and the lower end of the hopper 43 must be less thanthe thickness of an average thickness coin, but for the purpose ofexplanation the minimum thickness likely to be met with (i.e. worn coin)will be used viz: 0.054. The surface 40 must also be capable ofcontaining a penny of mint thickness viz: 0.065". Furthermore the coinengaging wall 44 must not be higher than 0.054 or it may engage a secondcoin that is partly in the hopper and cause a jam. It is also desirableto leave a clearance between the upper surface of a mint coin and thelower end of the hopper 43 and it is thought that approximately 0.003"is a reasonable clearance.

From the above it will be appreciated that the wall 44 is 0.054", a mintcoin stands proud above said wall by 0.065" -0.054=0.011, to Which mustbe added the 0.003" clearance. Therefore the coin hopper 43 must beadjusted so that the height between the lower end of said hopper and thenormal surface of the drawer (at say 31, see FIGS. 1 and 2) is 0.011plus 0.003"=0.014".

Although a half-penny is thinner than 1d., a similar arrangement appliessince a thin /2d. is about 0.047" and a mint one is about 0.058". Thisrequires that the coin engaging wall shall be 0.047", a mint /2d. willbe proud by 0.0580.047=0.011". Add the 0.003" clearance and the samefigure of 0.014" is arrived at.

In the case of a 3d. piece a worn one approximates to 0.100" so the coinengaging wall 45 will be 0.100. A mint coin is about 0.105". In thiscase the difference is 0.005". If the same clearance between the coinhopper 43 and the normal surface 31 of the drawer is provided i.e.0.014, this will leave a clearance of 0.009" between the upper surfaceof a mint coin and the lower end of the coin hopper 43. 0.009 isinsuflicient to permit another 3d. piece to fall from the hopper.

All that is necessary therefore to set up the hopper moulding for use isto loosen the screws 54, 55 and slip a feeler gauge 0.014 thick betweenthe bottom of the hoppers and the top 31 of the drawer and then tightenthe screws again.

A Slight variation is required if say the penny hopper is required todeliver two pennies. In the cast the height of wall must be2X0.054"=0.108", the thickness of two mint pennies=2 0.06 5"=0.130", themint pennies stand proud by 0.130-0.108=0.022", add the clearance of0.003" then the feeler gauge setting will be 0.025".

In practice if a gauge setting of 0.025" is used in a machine thatinvolves a single /2d. hopper, a single 3d. piece hopper and a pennyhopper for delivering two pennies, this will not allow even a worn /zd.(0.047") to fall on to a thin one on the coin receiving surface, whichis the most difficult condition to allow for.

Instead of cutting the coin receiving surface from the drawer they mayconveniently be provided by recessing the drawer throughout its widthand securing thereto a thermoplastic or like moulding provided with thedesired recessed coin receiving surfaces. In either case the coinreceiving surface for the pennies may be made suitable for modifying toprovide for two pennies by securing a thin wafer (corresponding inthickness to a worn penny0.054") to a 0.108 coin receiving surface. Assuch it will be suitable for delivering 1d., but when the wafer isremoved it will be suitable for two pennies.

The above arrangement in which the coin receiving surfaces are below thenormal surface of the drawer meets the case where the lowermost articleis engaged by the wall 38, on opening the drawer, .and the remainingarticles rest on the platform 31. The coins in change slide beneath thepile of articles for presentation to the purchaser.

As an alternative however, for example when a narrower article is beingsold, the coin receiving surfaces may be at the normal level of thedrawer but beyond the extremities of the articles so that coins inchange do not have to pass beneath the articles. In that case the lowerends of the hoppers may be varied i.e. the lower end of a penny hopperwill be 0.068 from the drawer, a halfpenny lower end 0.061" and athreepenny piece 0.108". A coin engaging wall 0.047" high is thenprovided on the drawer and this is continued rearwards and willeffectively obturate all three of the coin hoppers.

In this alternative if two pennies have to be delivered from the 1d.hopper, as the rear wall is only 0.047" high it may not engage thesecond penny, so the wall and the continuation at the penny hopper mustbe raised to a height sufiicient to engage the second 101., e.g. about0.070".

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin freed machine for vending articles stored in a pilecomprising a unitary, generally flat drawer adapted to support saidarticle pile with the lowermost article resting thereon, a hopperlocated above the drawer adapted to contain a pile of coins ready fordelivery as change, a locking device engaging said drawer and normallypreventing removal thereof from the machine, a drawer release means forreleasing the drawer from the said locking device for outward and returnmovement upon insertion of appropriate coinage into the machine by apurchaser, said drawer release means including a slot in said drawer forreceiving a coin in such a position that as the drawer is moved out ofthe machine, the coin moves with the drawer, unlocking the said lockingdevice, to permit outward movement of the drawer from the machine, anarticle engaging means on the drawer extending upwardly from the drawerfor removing the lowermost article from the article pile, on the outwardmovement of the drawer, to a position where the article is free to beremoved by the purchaser, and a coin engaging member extending upwardlyfrom the surface of the drawer and formed as a part of the drawer, toengage and remove the lowermost coin from the coin pile during movementof the drawer, to move the lowermost coin to a position where the coinis free to be removed by the purchaser.

2. A coin freed machine for vending articles stored in a pile as claimedin claim 1, wherein the coin hopper is open at its lower end and thelowermost coin thereof rests on the drawer and is moved to said positionfor removal as the drawer is moved inwardly.

3. A coin freed vending machine for vending articles stored in a pile asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the coin hopper is closed at its lower endand is slotted to permit the coin engaging member to pass through theslot to engage the lowermost coin and to permit said coin to be movedtransversely from the bottom of the pile.

4. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coin engagingmember is operative to deliver a coin onto the drawer on its saidoutward movement.

5. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the coin engagingmember is operative to engage a coin on the said return movement of thedrawer and deliver it to a passageway for removal by the purchaser.

6. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the hopper isopen at its lower end and is mounted so that said lower end is locatedthe height above a coin receiving surface of the drawer equal to thethickness of a mint coin plus a clearance such that when the drawer isclosed, one coin only can lie between said lower end and said receivingsurface.

7. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the associatedcoin engaging means is equal in height to the thickness of a worn coin.

8. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 6, in which the associatedcoin engaging means comprises a wall on the drawer whose upper edge iscontinued rearwardly and horizontally to provide a raised surface of thedrawer, which raised surface provides an obturator to prevent a furthercoin being delivered to the drawer when the drawer is opened.

9. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 6 in which the associatedcoin engaging means is provided by arranging the coin receiving surfaceof the drawer below its normal surface i.e. as a recess in said normalsurface having at least a partly surrounding wall, and the portion ofsaid Wall behind the coin constitutes the associated coin engagingmeans.

10. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the means forengaging the lowermost article in the pile comprises a wall on thedrawer, whose height is slightly less than the height of the article forsale, the upper edge of said wall being continued rearwardly as an uppersurface so that, on opening the drawer, the lowermost article is removedfrom the pile and said upper surface supports the remainder of the pileof articles.

11. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 9 in which the coinreceiving surface below the normal surface of the drawer is arranged onthe upper surface extending rearwardly from an article engaging wall.

12. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality ofpiles of coins as change, which piles may be for similar or differentdenominations.

13. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the hopper orhoppers are discontinuous as to their cross section, that is to say theyare gapped throughout their height, the width of said gap being slightlyless than the diameter of the coins to be piled therein.

14. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 12 in which hopperscomprise a single moulding made for instance from thermoplastic materialand the associated coin engaging means also comprises a single mouldingmade, for example, from thermoplastic material.

15. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 14 in which the lower endof a single moulding containing a plurality of hoppers is in one planeand is set at the height above the coin receiving surfaces equal to thethickness of the thickest mint coin to be delivered, plus a clearance,while the height of the coin engaging Wall is equal to the thickness ofa worn coin of the thinnest denomination to be delivered.

16. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 14 in which the lower endof the single moulding is stepped at different heights above the draweraccording to the denomination of the coin to be delivered, each saidheight corresponding to the thickness of a mint coin plus a clearance,of the denomination concerned, and the coin engaging wall is equal inheight to the thickness of a worn coin of the thinnest denomination tobe delivered.

17. A coin freed machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the associatedcoin engaging means for one or more of the hoppers is equal in height tothe thickness of a plurality of average coins, for example it ma beequal to the thickness of two coins, in which case a correspondingnumber of coins will be delivered as change from said hopper or hoppers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Barnard 194-68 STANLEY H.TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner

